Land acknowledgment
WSU Vancouver campus is located on stolen unceded land of the Taidnapam, Chinookan and Cowlitz peoples since time immemorial.
Our history
The first journal was published in 1997 with 500 copies available. Twenty poems and ten short stories were matched with four carefully selected photos and one sketch. After taking a year off, the second issue was made available in 1999 with a publication-record 31 poems. Visual Arts representation doubled that year as well to ten photographs. Copies were available at the Bookie (WSU Vancouver’s campus bookstore) at a cost of $2 for students, or $5 for non-students. Many copies were also distributed at no charge to generate interest.
The idea of funding the journal through sales was dropped a year or two later. Funding from Student Activity fees continued to increase and included a stipend for workshop presenters and some of the staff.
Poetry remained a staple through 2004 while Visual Arts representation steadily climbed to 30 pieces in 2005. During this same period and through 2008, short stories (Prose) only accounted for less than ten selections per issue.
The 2011 edition saw a steep reduction (20 pieces) in the Visual Arts, followed by only ten in 2012, a ten-year low. In 2014, Visual Arts increased in number of represented pieces and in the next few years became the most diverse form represented in the journal.
Awards
The Premier Print
Award
Award of Recognition
American Scholastic
Press Association
1st Place
American Scholastic
Press Association
Outstanding Cover
PPI Print Rocks!
Awards
Second place
PPI Print Rocks!
Awards
Third Place
2026 Spring Team
Koi Li
Editor-In-Chief
Koi is a computer science student that likes astronomy, art, and a lot of other things!
Isabella Swenson
Prose & Writing Editor
Isabella Swenson is a senior at WSUV, majoring in English Teaching without Certification and minoring in History. Isabella loves reading and writing and hopes to become a teacher who inspires future generations of learners to feel the same way. In the meantime, she is a para-educator who is also very excited to be joining the SCJ team!
Zoe Thompson
Layout & Design Editor
Zoe Thompson is a Digital Technology & Culture student at Washington State University Vancouver, specializing in digital media, visual design, and narrative development. Her background in the United States Marine Corps informs her disciplined approach to creative problem-solving and project coordination. As a member of the Salmon Creek Journal staff, she is committed to supporting high-quality student art and fostering an inclusive creative community.
Cami Wagner
SCJ Intern
Cami Wagner is an English Literary Studies major with a minor in Political Science here at Washington State University Vancouver. With her internship at the Salmon Creek Journal, she hopes to develop career skills as well as give back to her community at WSUV. Outside of her work at the journal, she is a restaurant server and a freelance journalist. Post-graduation she hopes to make journalism her full-time career.